Oil tester



Dec. 1, 1936.

J. A. LOGAN ET AL- OIL TESTER Original F'iied March so, 1954 INVENTOR JosEPH 14. [0040' 400 I 30 for holding a Patented Dec. 1, 1936 UNITE-D- STATES 011. TESTER Joseph A. Logan, Springfield, and Leolyn F. Spear, Westfield, Mass., assignors to Gilbert Q: Barker Manufacturing Company, West Springfield, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Original application March 30, 1934, Serial No.

718,218. Divided and this application September 11. 1935, Serial No. 40,042

6 Claims.

- This invention relates to an improvement in means for testing liquids. It particularly relates to an improved tool or device for holding the liquid sample to be tested. Such tool is planned for use with a testing machine and in one aspect the invention resides in a combination of such tool and cooperating part of the testing machines. This application is a division of our copending application Serial No. 718,218,

filed March 30, 1934.

The kind of a testing machine to which the invention particularly relates is one using the so- 7 called electric eye tomeasure variations of light passing through different test samples. The tested characteristic of a sample is derived from its variation from a standard with respect to the amount of light passed through the sample. Such a testing machine is shown generally by patent to Ybarrondo, No. 1,556,766 of October 13, 20 1925. There are many other examples of the same kind art.

The way in which our improvements are constructed and used will be understood from the 25 accompanying drawing and description.

Fig. 1 is a view of a sufiicient part of a. testing machine casing to illustrate its use in practicing the invention in its preferred form;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one form of tool tool;

- Fig. 2A is a detail view of the handle; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a simpler form; Fig. 3A is a detail view of a modification that will be referred to;

Fig. 4 is a side view of amore fully developed tool form for use with the testing machine of 1 Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a detail view partly in cross-section of the sample holding part ofFig. 4; Fig. 6 is a detail view with parts broken away to show the. manner in which a part of the tool of Fig. 4 cooperates with a part of the instrument of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a diagram to show a suitable arrangement of testingmachine parts in a conventional manner; and v I Fig. 8 is a detail showing a modification. The apparatus shown is primarily designed for testing the amount of dirt in engine oil. Of course it is capable of all sorts of other specific applications in testing liquids for industrial purposes. But the description will refer to the primary use.

The tools shown in Figs. 2 and 3 are much of measuring instruments in the prior liquid sample and a handle for the alike. Referring to Fig. 3, that one comprses two annular frames I and 2, each carrying'a circular window 3 of glass. A hinge 5 holds the frames together for 'opening and closing. A spring snap lock 6 will hold the frames together. 5 When together the windows 3 are parallel and spaced a very short distance apart. The very narrow space between such windows communicates all around the window circumference with the annular space 4 which is in the nature of 10 an overflow reservoir having space extending transverselyabove and below the horizontal and narrow space between the-windows. The meeting line on the outer circumference of the window frames is preferably located at least as far above 1 the central plane as the inner face of the .op window ,3, as indicated.

The tool of .Fig. 3 is a sample or test specimen holder for 'a liquid to be tested; Assuming one is to test the amount of dirt in the oil of an automobile crank case, a smallspecimen of such oil is taken out and, with frame 2 turned back on its hinge, the oil is dropped on the bottom window 3. The top window is then turned do vn with frame 2 and the parts temporarily locked in the position of Fig. 3. In this position an oil specimen of even thickness can'be seen between the two glasswindows 3.

It is important to have the film of uniform thickness as a variation will afiect the amount of light that can pass through the film. The construction of Fig. 3 will require a good deal of accurate fitting to make the film space uniform between the window glasses. To avoid this the 7 glasses 3 are preferably fitted into the frame= asi indicated in Fig. 3A. In this figure the shoulder in the frame to takethe glass is provided-with a cork washer (or compressible packing)- '40. A narrow U-shaped clip ll is slipped over the edge of the top glass 3'. And another similar clip is 40 put on the top glass at a diametrically opposite position to the one shown. Two similar clips (not shown) are put on the bottom glass 3 at diametrically opposite points. The line between the clips on one glass is arranged at right angles to the line between the clips on the other glass. With this arrangement the inner foot of each clip is located between the two glass windows and it the glasses in spaced relation can be held tight 13 They can be readily inserted and removed.

The advantage of this arrangement is that the window frame construction does not need to be made with great accuracy for the nice double window spacing to give the film thickness. Nor do the two. glass windows need to be of the same thickness to get the film spacing desired.

The window frames, and glass windows can be made with usualmanufacturing tolerances. But with the construction disclosed in connection with Fig. 3A the film space between the windows will be exactly determined by the thickness of the four spacers or clips 4|. Itis quite easy to make. the clip thickness exactly what is wanted for the film thickness between the windows. Furthermore; it is easy to take the glasses out of the frames when soiled with use, and put clean'onesv in that will 'give the same film thickness.

The windowglasses in the other forms of tools referred to are preferably held in place by the same arrangement as just described. To simplify the drawing this window mounting detail is not shown in all the tools disclosed.

With the tool-of Fig. 3 in horizontal position one has a specimen film of the oil to be tested and one of uniform thickness. In getting the test film of oil preparatory to testing, it has not been necessary to exactly gauge the quantity of 'oil placed between the windows. The actual film is preferably a very small quantity and all excess over the film quantity wanted is squeezed out (as the frame parts are closed) into the reservoir space 4. The oil is squeezed into film form by the angular approach of the windows and that acts to eliminate air bubbles. Thus, all that is necessary as a practical manipulation is to place on lower glass window 3 that quantity of oil to be tested that does not exceed the capacity of the film space and theoverflow'reservoir l.

The actual test film 'locatedbetween the windows is I such a small amount that the leeway provided for the operator to get enough and not too much,

is sufficient to avoid any trouble in taking the specimen or any botherin manipulating the tool. The tool of Fig. 12 is substantially like that of i Fig. 3, except in a few particulars. The frame tween the-windows or when the tool needs to be more forcibly-closed. The frames are provided with a hinge" arm ID. A lug II is provided on the bottom frame with the slot opening I 4 indicated, by which a spring wire handle l5 can be easily and removably attached to the tool. This is done by squeezing the handle together, inserting it through the slotand letting it spring apart with its ends under the lug and its bends extending upwardly and over the lug, one bend adjacent each side at the slotted entrance.

,When the test film of oil is prepared by the use of either tool and containenit is then placed on the centralizing boss l6 of the testing instrument. Referring to Fig. 3, the inner circumfer- 'ence ll of the frame parts I and 2, which give the unobstructed openings for looking through Bolt l3.

windows 3; ma circumference-preferably made to fit snugly. and exactly over the circumference of boss 16 and to bring the lower window 3 into fiat position resting on the fiat rim part of boss l6 This is true of all the tools shown in Figs. 2,

. 3,.and 4. Boss l6 has a window opening l1 centrally of the boss. The placing of the film holding tool on boss l6'places the film centralized over the opening H in the testing instrument. The manner of testing will be referred to later.

Having in mind the particular plan of testing automobile engine oil by taking a test sample from the crank case, the special tool shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6 has been developed for most conveniently handling such a sample. A window frame arrangement is made up as shown generally in Fig. 5. It is circular with bosses.l8 extending out'from opposite ends. It has two glass windows I9 with openings 20 of the circumference to fit boss l6 of the testing instrument. The spacing of the windows is of film thickness and the film space has communication with openings extending. longitudinally through end bosses l8.

The tube 25, preferably made flexible, with sleeve 22 is removably attached by a bayonetjoint slot to one boss 3 by its stationary pin 2|. A suction hand pump 23 with handle 24 is in the same manner removably attached to the opposite boss I.

With thistool, tube 25 can be inserted in any convenient automobile engine opening where a sample of oil can be sucked out. And it is of considerable advantage to have a tool to take the test sample from the bottom of the crank.

case where the oil is most likely to have most dirt in it, and toform the film by the tool drawing upfrom this point. When the end of the tube gets down into the oil, handle 24 is drawn back and the pump 23 sucks out the sample through the tube and through the film space between glass windows I!) and into pump 23. All

that is necessary in manipulation to get the samhandle 24 until the film space in view of the operator is seen to be full and then stop;

. .Of course this tool of Fig. 4 is an extremely convenient tool for merely taking an oil sample from an automobile crankcase for testing its condition by the human eye and judgment alone. It can be contrasted with the customary method of inserting a bare rod into the crank case and looking at the oil film upon taking out the rod.

tool of Fig. 4 could be put in the testing instrument without separating the parts, if one desired. The end bosses l8 are received into U- shaped holders 26'and the bottom window frame fits on boss l6, as indicated in Fig. 6, in which figure parts are broken away to indicate the accurate relationship of the film position on the boss and over its opening l1.

When the tools described are frequently used, as they are planned to be at gasoline filling stations, for rapidly testing the oil for one customer after another, the problem of easy and quick cleaning between tests arises. The tools of Figs. 2 and 3 are cleaned by opening the window frames 'ple in film form between the windows is to pull film windows either by opening the window casings or by removing them and using spare win-' scope of the kind of work that can be done with the tools described.

Referring to Fig. 7, this illustrates a photoelectric cell means for measuring light. generally like that shown in said prior Ybarrondo patent. A lamp 30 in a supply circuit 3| gives a light source of predetermined intensity. This light can be'adjusted to the desired intensity by rheostat 32. A photo-electric cell '33 is spaced in line with lamp 30. The light from the lamp which reaches electric cell .33 determines the amount of current in circuit 34. A microammeter 35in that circuit measures the current. The line 36 indicates the position of a film (of anything). The amount of light from lamp 30 passing through the film on line 36 and reaching cell 33 is what instrument 35 measures, by measuring the current in circuit 34. Such current differs from what the current is in that circuit when the light does not need to pass through the film to be tested. This general measuring arrangement is illustrative of one of many specific types that could be used and they are very well known in the measuring and testing arts. It is such an arrangement that we prefer to use in testing the films prepared and held by our improved tools.

Assuming that oil is to be tested for the amount of dirt in it: the instrument 35 would be calibrated to give direct readings to indicate, for example, good, fair, poor, and bad condition for a film at 36 according to its dirt content. The indications can of course be by words, figures, colors, or any combination of desired indications.

The testing instrument diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 7 is conveniently housed as shown in Fig. 1.

The preferred use of the improved tools will now be described with relation to the testing instrument of Fig. 1.

The tool of Fig. 3 is the simplest. In clean form it is used to prepare and hold a film, as already stated. It is placed on boss I6, switch 31 (Fig. 7) closed, and indicator 35 gives a direct reading of the condition of the film test specimen, in our case the dirt condition of the oil. The instrument of Fig. 2 can be used in a similar way with or without the handle.

' The preferred tool is that of Fig. 4 when the instrument of Fig. 1 is to be used at a public gasoline of the customer.

filling station. This tool is especially adapted for such use. The attendant asks the privilege of testing a customer's engine oil. He inserts tube 25 (especially made long enough for the purpose) into the oil of the crank case and to go to the very bottom of the crank case. He draws back handle 24 and sucks a test sample of the oil in: the tube through the windows to form the film and toward the pump, leaving film space between the windows i9 full of oil. He then disconnects the tube 25 and pump 23 from bosses l8 of the intermediate section. And he places those bosses in the saddles of the tool holders 26 (Fig. 1) with the window frame centralized by boss l6. Ahood, not shown, may then be placed to shut out the and a reading taken from indicator 35 in full view A fact proved by practice is that many oil tests are made at a public filling station in which the oil is shown to be in fine condition and no refilling necessary. After a customer gets acquainted with this fact he will depend more and more on the real scientific nature of the instrument to tell him exactly when to change his oil and thus be saved from the waste of the customary hit or miss method of changing oil now in vogue.

We are aware of the prior art patents to Schoenberg 1,940,772 and 1,940,373, disclosing testing instruments and tools for the same general oil testing plan as ours. Our own invention is in the improved tools for handling the test sample form start to finish with a view to greater facility in the testing work. It is a scientific test that one wants to carry out under the inspection and with the acceptance of a large public. There are problems in commercializing the plan which makes speed, convenience, accuracy, and cleanliness particularly important factors in the manipulation, not only for the public, but for the filling station attendant.

With the tool ofFig. 4 the sample is drawn, formed into a film, placed on the electric tester, and a reading given to the customer with real speed and no confusion or "sloppy manipulation. After the test and with a satisfied customer gone on his way, the window'frame can be separated for cleaning, as in Figs. 2 and 3, or as described in connection with Fig. 3A, and quicklyv closed. But after the greater number of tests the tool of Fig. 4 can be cleaned by merely drawing from a supply of cleaning fluid and passing the latter through the film space between the windows by manipulation of the pump 23.

The tool of Fig. 4 is an improvement in oil testing tools, even without its use with the electric oil tester of Fig. -1. The human eye is sufiici ent in some cases to see that the film of oil from an engine crank case, between the glass windows. is sufficiently free of dirt for-a customer to avoid refilling with engine oil or to bother with the electric test in his particular case. tool while especially suited for'the full scientific test is a means for quickly saying so when'the oil is-free of dirt and no scientific test is worth while.

The windows for forming the film in the various tools have been shown flat. In some cases it will be desirable to make them curved as watch crystals are curved, and such a. modification has been shown in Fig. 8. In that figure the structure of the device is the same as that shown in Fig. 3 except that the windows are given a curvature such that the top window has its convex side fitting into the concave side of the bottom Thus, that 15 daylight. Then the electric light 20 is turned on window and a curved insteadof a fiat film is formed. This type of construction is particularly useful where the liquid tends to trap air bubbles when in test film thickness. The curved form of the windows forces the bubbles towards the sides and out into the space 4' very effectively,

owing to the fact that the oilinitially put onto the lower concave glass will lie flat on its upper surface, and will thus be contacted first by the center of v the convex upper glass, forcing the' bubbles continuously towards the sides as the frame is closed. In Fig. 8 the parts, being generally similar to those in Fig. 3, are denoted by primed reference characters.

Having disclosed our invention, what we claim is:

- 1. A tool for preparing and enclosing a fluid test sample comprising two hinged window frames, a

lock for the frames, windows in the frames adapted to lie parallel and spacing means to position the windows a film distance apart when the frame is closed, at least one of said frames being formed with a recess which when the frames are closed provides a reservoir or overflow chamber outwardly of the edges of the window, said spacing means being shaped to provide a passage between the overflow chamber and the film space whereby the latter may be exactly filled without accurate measurement in placing the sample between the windows.

2. A testing .tool comprising a pair of separable window frames, individual glasses for said frames the lower of which is formed with a concave and the upper of which is formed with a convex film forming surface, means for aligning said frames with their glasses at a predetermined film forming thickness apart, to form on introduction of a viscous colored fluid between the windows a colored fluid film of a thickness through which light may pass, and means to hold said frames in said aligned condition sufficiently rigidly to maintain the desired film thickness for testing purposes.

3. A testing tool comprising a pair of window frames pivoted together at one side, glasses for said frames, means for holding the frames in superposed parallel relation, a plurality of spacing members positioned between the glasses to position the glasses at a predetermined film forming distance apart, said spacing members being circumferentially spaced to leave passageways therebetween, each of said frames being formed glasses by the passages between the spacing members so that when liquid is placed upon one glass and the other glass is swung down upon it the liquid will bethinned down tov a predetermined film thickness.

4. A testing tool comprising a pair of separable window frames, glasses for said frames, means for mounting the glasses yieldably in the frames, means to position the frames one over the other in accurate window alignment with the glasses parallel one to another, a plurality of clips embracing the edge of at least one of the glasses and spaced circumferentially to extend between the glasses and to preserve between them a space of predetermined film forming thickness, and means to draw the frames together so that said yielding means will cause tight engagement of the glasses with said clips.

5. A testing tool comprising. a pair of window frames connected for movement toward and from each other, glasses for said frames, means for mounting the glasses yieldably in the frames.

means to position the frames one over the other in accurate window alignment with the glasses parallel one to another, a plurality of clips embracing the edge of each of the glasses with the clips on one glass alternating with the clips on the other glass, the clips extending between the glasses to preserve between them a space of predetermined film forming thickness, and means to draw the frames together so that said yielding means will cause tight engagement of each glass with the clips on the other.

6. A tool for preparing and enclosing 'a fluid test sample comprising two interfitting window frames, windows in the frame adapted to lie parallel and a plurality of spacing means, circumferentially separated to leave passageways therebetween and adapted to position the glasses film forming distance apart when the frames are fitted together, channels in the mating faces of said frames forming when said frames are closed a reservoir or overflow space encompassing the windows and in communication with the film space circumferentially around the windows by way of said passageways, and means associated with the window frames to hold them in tightly fitting condition whereby the windows will accurately determine the film space which may be exactly filled and will overflow without accurate measurement in placing the sample between the windows when the frames are opened.

JOSEPH A. LOGAN. LEOLYN F. SPEAR. 

